There’s a lot to love about the nature of the web community these days. People working on cool projects, loving what they do, excited to get up each day, truly believing that they have the creativity and passion to change the world in some small way. It’s the complete antithesis of so many corporate environments.
But perhaps the most remarkable thing about it is the sense of cooperation. I have never seen anything like it. If you have something you want to do, if you have an inkling of an idea that may have legs, there are dozens of super-intelligent people out there more than willing to help you out. Whether it’s offering advice, sharing wisdom from their own journeys or making introductions, it is astonishing how generous these people are.
I’m preparing to move to Chicago, and there’s been something I’ve been thinking about doing for quite a while (inspired by one of the smartest guys I’ve ever met here in the city.) Yesterday I threw out some feelers to the web community, not really knowing what to expect. The response was swift and overwhelming – people who have enormous responsibilities who have no business wasting their time talking to some idiot whose skill set consists of booger jokes and burning businesses to the ground immediately were offering advice and suggestions, putting me in touch with folks who might be able to help. 24 hours later, I have a much better understanding of what I’d need to do and what I need to think about. And there’s absolutely nothing in it for them – they don’t know me, they’ve never heard of me, and anything I could offer they already have (except they’re probably better.)
It’s at once inspiring and humbling. Imagine if the world operated like this. Imagine what it would be like if everyone were as generous, thoughtful and selfless as these folks are.
What if that were the real lasting impact of this whole Web 2.0 thing?
